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Regular Bedtimes for Growing Brains

A new study shows that consistent bedtimes are associated with positive performance on a variety of intellectual tests for young children. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers studied information about bedtimes and standardized test scores for more than 11,000 children that were part of the the UK Millennium Cohort Study. In this study, children were followed at at ages 3, 5 and 7. The study included regular surveys and home visits. Children also took standardized tests in math, reading and spatial abilities when they were 7 years old. The findings? Consistent bedtimes were linked to better performance across all subject areas. Bedtimes that had never been consistent for girls at ages 3, 5, and 7 were associated with lower scores than regular bedtimes, while boys also tended to do worse on the tests if they didn't go to sleep at a routine time for any two of the specified bedtimes.